Guided and protected electrical connection



Aug. 27, 1940. J. A. BREWER GUIDED AND PROTECTED ELECTRICAL CONNECTION Filed Sept. '7. 1959 l both electrical terminals are disposed.

Patented Aug. 271, y194:0

Pn'rllvr orFiCE GUIDEDAND PROTECTED ELECTRICAL CONNECTION John A. Brewer, Kalamazoo, Mich., assignor of one-half to William C. Strungart, Kalamazoo, f

Mich.

Application September 7, 1939, Serial No. 293,802

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an electrical plug and socket connection.

It is especially aimed to provide a novel construction wherein the socket or receptacle has an extended element substantially filling the opening thereof and being terminally spherical or similarly shaped in order to guide a cap type of plug onto the same, and in which the cap plug has a single opening or chamber in which The plug is primarily a permanent polarity plug.

It is further aimed to provide a construction which enables the parts to be rapidly attached and detached, one which is shockproof, one in which the making and breaking of circuit is confined within the hollow plug, one which is dustproof, durable, avoids sputtering, and which will be attachable in various positions and must lock or latch to avoid loosening and falling out.

The more specific objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration ci the description following taken in connection with accompanying drawing illustrating an operative embodiment.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing the plug attached to a receptacle containing the socket means;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 ci' Figure 2.

Referring speciiicaily to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like or similar parts, I0 designates an outlet box or receptacle having a usual face plate H detachably connected thereto as by means of screws at I2. 40 ISich face plate II has a central round opening Located centrally of the receptacle in is a post or core I4 of suitable insulation which is round except at the base where it has a laterally .15 extending flange 5, suitably fastened within the casing or receptacle 9. The outer end of the core er post I4, is spherical as at l5 and it but partly ills the opening I3 and extends outwardly beyond the face plate Ii. Such a construction 50 provides a relatively narrow opening I3 for insertion of a plug later to be described, and so that, in the absence of a plug, ones ingers or instruments cannot be passed into the plug to tamper with the electrical parts.

55 Across the inner end of the base I5, a conductor bar I1 is fastened by meansio screws i8, one of which may serve as a terminal for a feed wire IS. Disposed at a right angle to the bar Il and out of contact therewith, is an arched bar Z0 secured in place by screws 2l, one of which 5 serves as a terminal for the other feed wire 22. Contacting the conductor bar Il is a conductor clasp 23, having longitudinal fingers 24, extending into the space of the receptacle, through enlarged openings 25 in the base I5. Said fingers 10 24 have outward deiiections or arcuate portions 26, to substantially providexsockets.

As best shown in Figure 3, the core or post I4 has a T-shaped recess 21 in which a generally U- shaped expansive Contact member 2S is disposed l5 with its bridge 29 secured in contact with the adjacent portion of the conductor bar 2U. Contact device 28 has conductor ngers or arms 3B, preferably? curled as at 3l at their free ends, and urged through the expansion or resilience there- 20 of slightly outwardly beyond the periphery of the post or core and at a location closer to the face plate II than the ngers 24.

The plug is generally indicated at S2, being shown in attached position in the drawing. This 25 plug Pconsists of an inner cup-shaped conductor or sleeve 33 having an inwardly extending bead 34 at its marginal edge and also hat-'i f an extension 35 carrying a conventional binding post 36 for one of the outlet wires 3l. The other 30 outlet wire 38, is connected to a conventional binding post 39 on an outer conducting sleeve or cylinder 40 extending inwardly beyond the bead 34 and terminating in a curl 4I affording an outwardly extending bead. The sleeves 33 35 and 40 are joined by insulation 42, which e1'- tends between them and insulates one from the other.

A cap 43 of insulation is screwed detachably as at 44 to the adjacent portion of the conductor 40 sleeve 40 and has a central opening 45 through which the outlet wires 31 and 38 pass, to the lamp or other device.

It will be realized that the plug is attached and removed by placing the hollow portie-n there- 45 of in line with the spherical or similar surface I6 of the core, which latter centers and guides the same through the restricted ring shaped opening I3. Further insertion of the plug moves the bead 34 into contact with the curls 3| and 50 thereafter moves the bead 4I into engagement with the socket portions 2E. Particular attention is called to the fact that a snap action is necessary to pass the bead 34 over the curls 3| into the position shown in Figure 3 and a snap 55 action is also necessary to --pass the bead il into the socket portions 26 in Figure 2. As a result, the socket and plug are in a manner locked or latched together against accidental separation. The plug may be inserted while in any position. When the plug is removed, the ring shaped opening I3 will be constricted by the core or post I4 to guard against insertion of the fingers or tainpering.

Attention iscalled to the fact that the various contacts must latch or lock together at beads 3d and curls 3l and beads 4i and socket portions 26; otherwise the action of the iingers 2;? -on the beads 4I, will kick out the piug.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the in- Vention.

I claim as my invention:

A device of the class described having a post of insulation having a hollow portion opening at opposite sides thereof, conductor means within the hollow portion having fingers exposed at said sides, second conductor means, said second conductor means having iingers outwardly of the post, a plug applicable over the post, said plug having an inner sleeve engageable with the rst mentioned ngers, an outer sleeve concentric with said inner sleeve and insulated therefrom, said outer sleeve having its free end extending beyond the zone of engagement of the inner sleeve and first mentioned ngers and turned inwardly into contact with the post to form a bead, said bead being in snap engagement with the second mentioned ngers, the outer sleeve having screw threads, and a cap detachably engaging said screw threads, said post having a rounded free end.

JOHN A. BREWER. 

